After the Rescue (Post Scene from To Live and Die in Mexico)
by Mulderette
Summary: Callen, Sam, Kensi and Deeks begin their recovery after their harrowing experience in Mexico.
1. Chapter 1

_Just a little one-shot from the episode which I adored. Thanks for reading and I hope you like it :)_

 _xxxxx_

Hetty made her way through the main entrance of the Balboa Naval Hospital and took the elevator up to the ICU. She then walked through the unit and the first room she came upon was Deeks'. She looked through the glass and saw Kensi by Deeks' bedside, her head resting on her fiance's chest. Hetty's heart went out to the young couple. Although Turk had filled her in, she could only imagine the true horror they had been through. She quietly walked into the room and Kensi raised her head and slowly sat up.

"Hetty." Kensi smiled wearily at the older woman. "I'm so glad to see you."

"And I'm glad to see you also, my dear," Hetty said quietly as she looked down at Deeks. "How is Mr. Deeks?"

"He's doing better," Kensi said, her eyes welling up with tears. "I was so afraid that…" She shook her head and smiled, trying not to relive what they had been through. "None of that matters anymore. He's going to be okay. I'm going to make sure of it."

"Yes you will." Hetty smiled and took Kensi's hand then squeezed it comfortingly. "You saved him, Ms. Blye. Turk told me how you put forth a supreme effort and saved him. I'm very proud of you."

"I'd do it again, a thousand times over," Kensi said, looking at Deeks. "I love him...I love him more than I ever thought I could love anyone." She turned her eyes to Hetty. "He's everything to me, Hetty. He means the world to me."

"And that's as it should be," Hetty said with a kind smile. "I daresay the feeling is mutual. Mr. Deeks positively adores you."

Kensi smiled and nodded. "I know...I know he does. All I wanted was for him to pull through and he's going to...that's all that matters to me."

"Is there anything I can get for you?" Hetty asked. She was anxious to get to Callen, but wanted to make sure her team was all set before doing so.

Kensi shook her head. "No...no thank you, Hetty. "I think we're okay."

Hetty nodded as she opened up her purse and pulled out a cell phone then handed it to Kensi. "If you need anything, anything at all, just call. I'll be sure to answer. Give my best to Mr. Deeks when he wakes up."

"I will. Thank you, Hetty. Are you going to see Callen and Sam now?"

Hetty nodded. "Yes."

"Tell them I'm thinking of them and I'll be in to see them as soon as I can."

"Thank you, Ms. Blye...I'll be sure to tell them. Now try to get some rest. I'll be back to see the two of you again soon."

"Hetty?" Deeks' voice stopped her just as she was about to leave the room. Hetty quickly turned around and walked back to Deeks' bedside.

"Mr. Deeks...I can't tell you how good it is to see those bright blue eyes of yours open," she said, giving him a fond smile. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good," Deeks said, returning her smile. When Hetty gave him a skeptical look he reconsidered his answer. "I...I'm doing better."

"And I'm very glad to hear that," Hetty said as she gently patted his shoulder. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"How are Callen and Sam?" he asked.

"The last I heard they're holding their own. Now please don't worry about them. You need to just focus on yourself and getting well."

Deeks nodded. "Okay...I will. Thank you, Hetty."

"You take care of yourself," With that, Hetty made her way out of the room, glad that she had seen Deeks awake and talking. It made her feel a good deal better.

xxxxx

As she moved past the next room, she stopped when she saw Callen asleep behind the glass. He looked so vulnerable to her. "I'm going to go see your partner, and then I'll be back to spend some time with you," she whispered. Finally, she pulled her eyes away and made her way to the next room which was Sam's. She couldn't help but think how sad it was that he was alone. If the circumstances were different, she knew that Michelle would have been right by his side. She didn't think she would ever be able to totally forgive herself of the guilt she felt for what had happened to her. But she also knew that what ifs didn't help. The most she and the team could do now was to be there for Sam and his family and help them in whatever way they could.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Hanna," Hetty said as she walked into his room, pleased to see him awake and alert. "How are you doing?"

"Hetty." Sam turned his head and smiled back at her. "It's good to see you. I'm doing pretty well."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Have you seen the others yet?" Sam asked, worriedly. "How are they? How's G?"

"Your fellow team members are holding their own," Hetty said to him. "I just came from seeing Mr. Deeks and Ms. Blye. Mr. Deeks seems to be doing better."

Sam nodded. "That's good. We were really worried about him." He hesitated and then questioned, "What about G?"

"I'll be going to see him after I visit with you, but he's stable, Sam. He has a bit of a long road ahead of him, but Mr. Callen is a strong and stubborn man. I believe he's going to pull through this just fine."

"He...he thought he was going to die," Sam stated. "We both thought we were dying...I...I couldn't help him."

"But you did help him, Sam," Hetty said as she grasped his hand firmly. "You saved his life."

"Only because the boy went and got help...if he hadn't…" Sam shook his head momentarily caught up in the memory. He was pretty sure it would always haunt him, just as he would always remember when his partner had been shot on Venice Beach and the moment he had seen his wife's lifeless body. "G was lying so still and he wasn't breathing. I...I thought I had lost him...I didn't know how I could ever come back from that...He means everything to me, Hetty."

"I know he does," Hetty said softly, "and I know he feels that way about you as well. You're all going to get through this...and you'll be there for each other and help each other through, just as you always do."

"You're right," Sam said, nodding. "As long as it's in my power, I'll always be there for G, for you and the whole team, but for now, you should go, Hetty. Go spend some time with him. I know you must be chomping at the bit to see him."

"I'm not in a rush to leave," Hetty said. "Is there anything I can bring you? Anything you need?"

Sam shook his head. "No thanks...just go to G...I don't want him to be alone. He needs you."

"But what about you?" Hetty asked. "You're alone as well. I don't mind staying with you for a while, Sam."

"I'm not really alone, Hetty," Sam explained with a sad smile, his eyes appearing a bit teary. "I've got an angel watching over me. I like to think she's part of the reason the four of us are still here."

"I like to think that too," Hetty said, her own eyes welling up with tears as well. She handed Sam the cell phone she had brought him. "Call me whenever you'd like, Sam. If there's anything at all I can do for you, I'll do my best to get it done."

"Thank you, Hetty," Sam said. "Go to G...Tell him I'll be with him as soon as I'm able to be."

Hetty nodded. "For now, just rest Sam, get yourself better. There will be plenty of time to visit with Mr. Callen and the rest of your team soon enough."

Sam nodded and watched as Hetty left his room and then made himself comfortable before he fell asleep.

xxxxx

Hetty silently entered Callen's room and sat down on the chair by his bed. She studied the numbers on his monitor, noting that the readings didn't seem too bad except for his blood pressure being on the low side. She had been there a little over an hour when he started to awaken. He groaned and grimaced in obvious pain as his hand went to his chest. Finally, he opened his eyes and after he had gotten his bearings, he caught sight of Hetty. "Hey…" he said before he began coughing harshly.

"Would you like some water?" Hetty asked. She had cleared it with the nurse before she had come into his room.

Callen nodded and she put the straw to his lips. He took a few slow sips and licked his lips. "Thank you," he said hoarsely.

"You're very welcome," Hetty said. "How are you doing?"

"Cold…" Callen answered. His whole body was freezing.

"And you're in pain, aren't you?" Hetty knew he was. She could tell by the look on his face.

Callen nodded again and Hetty pressed the button for the nurse who arrived almost immediately. "What can I do for you?" she asked with a smile.

"He's cold and in a good amount of pain," Hetty replied. "If you could bring a heated blanket and something to help with the pain, it would be very much appreciated."

"I'll see what I can do," the nurse said as she headed back out of the room.

"How...how are the others?" Callen asked.

Hetty could see that he was beginning to tire. "They're doing quite well considering all that has happened. Maybe you should try to rest."

"You're sure they're okay?"

"Of course I'm sure. I wouldn't lie to you, Mr. Callen." She watched as the nurse came in and covered him with the heated blanket, then injected some pain medication into his IV.

"That should help you feel better soon," the nurse said to Callen.

"Thanks," Callen said, managing a sleepy smile.

"I have to say, the four of you gave me quite a scare." Hetty didn't mention Hidoko. She still was having a hard time with what had happened to her and didn't want to tell Callen about it either, not until he was doing better. She just didn't have the heart to tell him, not unless he directly asked her.

"So...rry…"

"You have nothing to be sorry about." Hetty patted his hand, then smiled at his expression. The sleepy look in his eyes made her think about when she'd first taken him into her home and the few times he had allowed his vulnerability to show. "You do know how important you are to me, don't you?"

Callen nodded, but Hetty wasn't sure he really did. "You're closest thing I've ever had to a son, Mr. Callen. I care about you deeply and I'm very glad you're going to be okay."

"You...you're like a mother to me, Hetty, I...I care about you too."

Hetty smiled warmly at him, watching as he drifted off to sleep. She wasn't quite sure how, but he and his team had managed to get out of this mess. She knew it would take time, but she thanked God they were going to pull through.


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm still kind of obsessed with this episode so I thought I'd write another chapter involving the team. Thanks to those of you who read and commented on the first chapter. I really appreciate it and hope you like this one as well._

xxxxx

Sam was the first one to be released from the ICU and transferred into a regular room. He was only expecting to be in the hospital for another day or two. He still hadn't seen any of his teammates though and wanted to see them badly, especially G. After he had been situated in his new room, he took the opportunity to take his cane and made his way up to the ICU. He smiled when he reached Deeks' room and found him sitting up in bed, talking to Kensi, who was perched on the bed beside him.

"Hey guys," he said as he hobbled into the room. "How are you doing?"

"Sam!" Kensi's face lit up as she stood and went over to him, hugging him tightly. "I went to see you this morning, but they said you'd been transferred to another floor so I hadn't gotten over there yet."

"Yeah, I'm finally getting sprung from this place in a day or so." Sam turned to Deeks. "How are you doing, man?" he asked, clasping his hand in a firm handshake. "We were really worried about you."

"I'm doing a lot better, Sam," Deeks said with a smile. "I'm glad to hear you're doing well."

"Sam, please sit down," Kensi said, worried about his leg. "I'm thinking you're not supposed to be doing a lot of walking."

"I won't argue with you," Sam said as he sat down heavily on the chair in the room. He then focused his attention on Kensi. "So, I heard you performed quite the heroic act, pulling Deeks through the desert."

"She really did," Deeks said, his emotion-filled eyes focused on Kensi. "She was amazing."

Sam nodded. "That she was."

Kensi shook her head, her cheeks pink, not really wanting the attention. "I didn't do anything that you guys wouldn't have done if you were capable. And anyhow, Sam. Hetty told us what you did for Callen. You saved his life."

Sam shrugged. "I did what I had to do. I just thank God that the boy got us help or…" He shook his head, not really wanting to think about just how close he had come to losing his partner. "Anyhow...G has a way to go, but he'll be okay."

"Are you going to go see him?" Kensi asked. "I looked in on him earlier, but he was asleep. I didn't want to wake him."

"Yeah, I'm going to check in with him," Sam said. He'd gone long enough without seeing his partner. He really needed to see how he was doing for himself.

"I'd like to see him too, if you don't mind," Deeks said. He was sick of being isolated in his ICU room.

Kensi looked at him doubtfully. "I'm not sure that's a good idea," she said. "You should probably wait."

"The doc said I would likely be leaving the ICU tomorrow," Deeks said, giving Kensi a pleading look.

"We could get him a wheelchair," Sam suggested, having a good idea how Deeks was feeling. He also knew it would likely do his partner some good to have a bit of company.

"I guess so." Kensi was still worried, but she supposed she was being overprotective. It wasn't like he was going very far and she could keep a close eye on him. "I'll go see if I can find a wheelchair we can use."

The two men watched as Kensi left the room then Sam turned back to Deeks. "So...you're really doing okay?"

Deeks shrugged. "I'm still having some symptoms, headaches and some dizziness. The doctor said it may take some time for those to go away completely. It's a small price to pay though."

"Yeah," Sam said, nodding in agreement. "It sounds weird to say after all we went through, but we were lucky."

"We were," Deeks said. "And I guess Callen was pretty lucky that he has a highly trained Navy seal for a partner." He shook his head, not even wanting to imagine having to cut into someone's chest to help them breathe.

"Yeah well...I'm just thankful it wasn't too late…" Sam inwardly shuddered, the image of Callen's lifeless body still ingrained in his mind. He was pretty sure he wouldn't ever be able to erase the image.

"Here you go, Deeks," Kensi said, coming back into the room, pushing an empty wheelchair. "I checked with your nurse who said it was okay for you to go see Callen for a little bit, not too long though and you need to tell me if you get dizzy or light-headed. They're not taking any chances and neither am I."

"It's okay, Kensi. You've got a deal," Deeks said. After everything she had done for him, he wasn't going to put himself at risk. They both had too much too look forward to. His future with Kensi was the most important thing in the world to him, now more than ever.

xxxxx

Sam walked into Callen's room, followed by Kensi who was pushing Deeks in the wheelchair. He hesitated when he saw his partner apparently asleep, unsure if he should wake him. "Sam?" Kensi whispered. "Should we leave?"

Sam was about to answer her when Callen began to stir. He moaned softly before he opened his eyes and finally focused his gaze on his partner. "Sam…"

"Hey buddy," Sam smiled and took his partner's hand. "It's good to see you."

"Good to see you too," Callen said, his voice raspy. His gaze shifted and he saw Kensi and Deeks. "Hey guys...how are you?"

"We're doing good, Callen." Kensi came over to him and gave him a very gentle hug. "How are you?"

"I'm doing okay. Deeks? Are you doing better?" Callen cast a worried look at the detective. "You were in pretty rough shape when I saw you last…"

"I'm good," Deeks said, "Thanks to Super Woman here."

Callen nodded solemnly as he turned his gaze back to Kensi. "I heard you were pretty amazing."

"It was a labor of love," Kensi said softly, her eyes on Deeks who smiled up at her. She loved him so much and was so grateful that he was still with her.

Callen stared at Kensi and then at Deeks. It was obvious he had something on his mind. "I...I'm really sorry for what happened to you guys…"

Kensi and Deeks exchanged glances and then Deeks spoke. "You don't have anything to be sorry about, Callen. We came along of our own free will. It wasn't like we were following orders."

"You didn't even want us to come," Ketty said, trying to reassure him and erase the look of guilt from his face.

"It was an off the books mission, G," Sam reminded him gently. "You tried every which way to stop me from going. Sorry, man, but you just don't have that kind of power over us."

Callen nodded. He appreciated his team's attempts at making him feel better, but he still remained unconvinced. He couldn't help but feel that his planning had been all wrong. He should have thought up a better way to accomplish their mission, one which didn't involve them almost getting killed. "What about Hidoko?" he suddenly asked, realizing that no one had brought her up. He already had a feeling he knew the answer, but he needed to know for sure.

Sam gave Kensi a meaningful look and she quickly took the hint. "Deeks? I think you've been away from your room long enough," she said quietly. "You should go back and get some rest."

Deeks nodded, understanding that Sam wanted some time alone with his partner. "We'll be back to see you soon, Callen. Maybe we can be roomies when you're out of here. Take care of yourself."

Callen nodded. "Thanks, you too."

Kensi approached him and embraced him once again. "You get some rest too," she whispered. "I hope you feel better."

"Bye guys…" Callen watched as they left the room and then gave his full attention to Sam. "You didn't have to make them leave, Sam...I had hoped I was wrong, but…" He shook his head, his eyes filling in spite of his attempts to remain stoic.

Sam pushed his chair closer to Callen's bedside and put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "You don't get to blame yourself for this, G," he said. "We didn't even know Hidoko had gone to Mexico until it was too late. Mosley is the one who should feel guilty. Not you."

Callen nodded. He knew that Sam was right, but he still felt bad about what had happened. He wished they could have found her before it all went to hell. "I just wish…" he trailed off, his thoughts all over the place. With the job they had it was inevitable that you suffered losses. This time though, they had hit a little too hard and their whole team had almost been wiped out. It was a sobering thought.

"It's going to be okay, G." Sam didn't want his friend taking this on his shoulders. He still looked very ill and stress wasn't going to help him any.

Callen nodded and managed a smile. "I know it will, Sam… thanks to you." Breathless, he started coughing and drank a few sips of water from the cup on his tray.

"Maybe you should get some rest, buddy," Sam said gently.

"I'm okay," Callen said, shaking his head. He gazed back at his best friend, his eyes serious and full of emotion. "I know I gave you a lot of crap about not wanting you to go to Mexico...but, the truth is, if you hadn't gone, I'd be dead right now. Thank you, Sam...Thank you for saving my life."

Sam was a little tempted to make a joke, but he could see how much this meant to G and he knew it was important. "You're welcome, G...I'm really glad I was with you. Like I told you, I just can't lose you."

"Thanks Sam," Callen said, grateful that he had this man in his life as his best friend and his partner...his brother. "I feel the same way about you."


	3. Chapter 3

_I guess I'm still not totally done with playing with the season premiere. I just needed there to be a little bit more._

xxxxx

Deeks smiled to himself as he watched Ponch and Jon riding their motorcycles along the highway on the television screen. He'd been very pleased to find an old rerun of Chips while scanning through the channels with the remote control. At least it was something to help with his boredom for a little while. He was hoping to be released from the hospital within the next few days, but his doctor was being cautious with his head injury, insisting that Deeks remain hospitalized with as much quiet and rest as possible.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, he turned his attention to the doorway and was surprised to see Director Vance entering the room. "Hello, Director," he said, unconsciously sitting up in bed a little bit straighter. "It's good to see you."

"Hello, Detective," Vance said. "How are you feeling?"

"A lot better," Deeks said. "Hopefully, they're going to spring me from this place soon."

"Don't be in too much of a rush to get out of here," Vance said. "You went through quite an ordeal. You need to take your time with your recovery. You don't want any setbacks."

Deeks nodded. "You're right about that, I definitely don't."

Vance's gaze traveled over to the other bed in the room where Callen seemed to be deeply asleep. "How's Agent Callen doing?"

"He had kind of a rough night," Deeks said softly. "Bad reaction to some medication." The other man had been awake half the night throwing up, but Deeks didn't think the director needed all the gory details, nor did he think Callen would want Vance knowing them. "They finally gave him something so he could get some rest."

Vance nodded. "I won't wake him then. I basically just wanted to see how the two of you were doing and also to let you know that someone will be coming in to talk to you about what happened.

"You mean interrogate us?" Deeks asked. "I think it's kind of soon for Callen, don't you?"

"No, it's not an interrogation," Vance said with a shake of his head. "There is a psychologist coming in tomorrow to meet with your team as a group and give you the opportunity to talk about what happened. Just an informal discussion." He looked over at Callen again. "Hopefully, Agent Callen will be doing better then. Her name is Rachel Cranston and she's very good at what she does."

Deeks glanced over at Callen as well, knowing that the other man was not going to be thrilled with this bit of news. He was also beginning to wonder if Callen was really still asleep or if he was playing possum. Vance stayed for a short while longer, making small talk with Deeks and then he headed out.

"If you're awake, Callen, he's gone," Deeks said, after Vance had left the room. Callen didn't stir though and Deeks realized that he really was asleep. "Hope you start feeling better soon," he murmured as he turned his attention back to the television.

xxxxx

"Hi, honey," Kensi smiled widely as she entered the room and kissed Deeks. "How are you feeling?" She kept her voice low, seeing that Callen appeared to be asleep.

"I'm good, baby. I expected Sam to be with you." He knew Callen would be disappointed, even if he wouldn't admit it.

"Sam went to get his dressing changed. They're keeping a close watch over his wound. He'll be here soon."

"That's good...so Vance was here a little while ago. He said we need to meet as a team with some shrink?"

Kensi nodded. "He called me. Hopefully, it's nothing too intense. What did Callen say?"

"He doesn't even know yet," Deeks replied. "He's been out like a light the last few hours."

"He doesn't seem to be doing very well," Kensi said, looking worried.

"He just had a bad night, didn't get any sleep."

"Well, for you to know that, you must have not gotten much sleep either."

"I'm okay," Deeks said. "I just felt bad for Callen. He was in a lot of pain and then whatever medicine they gave him made him sick."

"That doesn't sound like fun."

At that moment, Sam came into the room, still leaning heavily on his cane. "Hey guys, how's it going?" His eyes immediately went to his sleeping partner and he lowered his voice. "How are you feeling, Deeks?"

"Not too bad, Sam. How's the leg?"

"Getting better every day." Sam looked at Callen once again, concern in his eyes. "Is he okay?"

"He had a rough night," Deeks said. "Lots of pain and he didn't react well to the medicine they gave him. Finally, they gave him something that worked and helped him sleep, as well."

"Well, that's good at least." Sam couldn't help feeling guilty about how hurt his friend had gotten under his watch. Even though rationally he knew there wasn't anything he could have done to prevent it, he still felt responsible somehow.

"Did you speak with Vance today?" Deeks asked.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, G isn't going to like that." Though honestly, he wasn't really too happy about it either.

"I wonder whose bright idea that was," Deeks said.

"What happened in Mexico was pretty awful," Kensi said thoughtfully. "I don't think it's necessarily a bad idea for us to talk about it, considering all that happened."

"I guess," said Deeks though not looking particularly convinced.

"I'm going to go sit with G," Sam said, deciding to give his two younger teammates a bit of privacy, as much as he could anyhow. He smiled and went over to his partner's bedside, then sat down in the chair next to him. He didn't say anything, but rather just studied his partner's face. Except for looking a bit pale, he really didn't look too bad, but Sam knew appearances could be deceiving and that G had a long period of recovery ahead of him. He'd only been there for about 15 minutes when Callen began to stir. He started coughing then opened his eyes and looked at Sam groggily. "Hey buddy, how you doing?"

"I'm good," Callen said hoarsely. "How are you?"

"I'm fine...can I get you anything?"

"Some water?" Callen asked. Someone had moved Callen's bedside tray table out of his reach. He pressed the button on the remote control and moved up the head of the bed so he could talk to his partner more comfortably.

Sam picked up the water pitcher, but found it was almost empty. "I'm going to get you some more water with some ice. I'll be right back."

Kensi walked over to Callen's bedside after Sam left the room. "Hi, Callen, how are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling pretty good," Callen said.

"Yeah?" Kensi had her doubts, but she knew Callen wasn't about to let on how badly he might be feeling. He certainly hadn't let anyone know the extent of his injuries while in Mexico. "Are you warm enough?" She pulled his blanket up a little higher over his chest then tucked it tighter around him. She was unable to help her natural instinct to fuss over him, knowing what she did about his family history, especially with Hetty being missing once again. After Hetty's initial visits to them, she hadn't returned to see them nor had she contacted them. The team was pretty much all he had at the moment.

"I'm good, Kens," Callen said, a slight smile on his lips. "You don't need to worry about me. Anyhow, you should get back to Deeks. You don't want him to feel neglected."

"That's the last thing he has to worry about," Kensi said, laughing.

"She's right about that, Callen," Deeks said. "She's been spoiling me rotten, not to mention my mom." Deeks' mom had gotten a hotel room in the area and she came by daily to see her son. She had also been giving Callen his share of attention as well.

Callen nodded, a momentary sadness coming over him at Deeks mentioning his mom. He quickly covered up though, not wanting anyone to feel bad for him or pity him. He wasn't a child, after all.

"Hey G, here's some nice fresh ice water for you," Sam said as he returned to the room. He poured the water into a cup and handed it to his partner.

"Thanks, Sam," Callen said, taking a few long sips of the water. "That's good."

"So what would you like for lunch today?" Sam asked, directing his question to Deeks and Kensi as well. "Your wish is my command. I'll go wherever you like."

"Oh I was planning on going out to get lunch," Kensi quickly said. "You really ought to be staying off your leg more than you are, Sam."

"She's right about that," Callen said. "You should be resting."

"I'm getting plenty of rest, G. Don't worry about me," Sam said. There was no way he was going to leave his partner on his own, especially once Deeks was discharged.

"So, Callen, what would you like for lunch?" Kensi asked.

Callen shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Why don't you let Deeks decide?"

Kensi sighed softly and gave Deeks a questioning look.

"I don't really know what's around here," he admitted.

"Why don't I go to Marco's Cafe," Kensi finally decided. It was close to the hospital and they had a wide variety of sandwiches, soups and other comfort type foods. She knew Deeks would like it and was relatively sure Callen would be able to choose something from there. There were also healthy choices available for Sam. She looked up the restaurant on her phone and found a menu which she brought over to Callen. Once everyone had given her their lunch orders, she headed off after assuring Sam that it was unnecessary for him to accompany her.

"You want to watch some t.v., G?" Sam asked. He could see that his partner was struggling to keep his eyes open and figured the t.v. might help him fall back to sleep. His assumption was correct as Callen's eyes closed only a few minutes after Sam turned on the television. Sam then went over to Deeks and sat in the chair which had been vacated by Kensi.

"So, I noticed you didn't tell Callen about the shrink coming in," Deeks said.

"I don't see that there's much point," Sam stated. "Why get him revved up?"

"You don't think a heads up would be good?" Deeks asked, looking a little bit puzzled.

Sam shook his head. "I don't know...he's not going to be happy about it anyway. It might be better just to have her come in and then it will be over with."

"Okay...I guess you know best," Deeks said. Personally, he would have told Callen, but if Sam didn't think he needed to know, he'd go along with it. "Did Vance even give you a time? He didn't say anything to me."

"Two o'clock," Sam stated. "He must have assumed the two of you wouldn't be going anywhere."

"I guess he was right about that. So any more news on Hetty?"

"No, nothing. I really wish she'd give us a call. I would have thought she'd at least call G…"

Deeks nodded. "Yeah...I would have thought so too. I hope everything is okay with her."

"I'm sure it is." Sam didn't want his thoughts to go there. They already had enough to worry about. Worrying about Hetty on top of everything else wouldn't be conducive to anyone's recovery.

They chatted about minor, inconsequential things, both determined to keep the conversation light, until Kensi returned a short while later with lunch.

"I've got to say, you're certainly the prettiest delivery girl I've ever seen," Deeks said with a grin as Kensi put the bags down on his tray table then smiled back at him.

"Callen's asleep again?" Kensi asked. "Should we wake him?"

Sam nodded. "I'm going to try. He really should eat." He took the soup and sandwich Callen had requested over to his partner's tray table and gently shook his shoulder. "Hey G? Lunch is here. You feel like eating?"

Callen opened his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, I'll eat, Sam. Thanks for getting this, Kens."

"You're welcome," Kensi smiled over at him, glad to see he was going to eat.

The rest of the day passed pleasantly enough with Sam and Kensi deciding to leave after the team had eaten dinner. Kensi had gotten pizza which they enjoyed, choosing to ignore a disapproving look from the night nurse.

Well, I guess we'll see you tomorrow," Kensi said as she leaned down to kiss Deeks. "We'll be back here well before the psychologist arrives."

Her remark immediately caught Callen's attention. "Psychologist?" he asked. "What psychologist?"

Deeks sighed and looked over at Sam. Both men knew the cat was out of the bag. "Vance is having a psychologist come in and talk with us tomorrow afternoon," Sam explained.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Callen asked, his annoyance obvious.

"I didn't want to upset you," Sam replied.

Callen rolled his eyes. "What did you think I was going to do, cry?" However, he then had a sudden unwelcome thought. "It's not Nate, is it?" He had yet to totally forgive Nate for the waterboarding incident and the way he had carelessly divulged Callen's personal information. He definitely didn't trust him.

Sam shook his head. "No, no G, it's not Nate."

"Well, it's fine. I'm really not that fragile, Sam," Callen stated. "I'm not going to melt down over some psychologist coming here."

"I'm sorry, G..I know you're not fragile. You're right. I should have told you."

"It's okay. I get it, but you really don't need to protect me."

"I know...force of habit. Forgive me?"

Callen smirked. "Yeah, I forgive you. Now get out of here. Go back to the hotel and get some rest." Like Deeks' mom, Kensi and Sam had both gotten rooms at a nearby hotel in order to be close to the hospital until Callen and Deeks were released.

"Okay, you two take it easy. Have a good night." Sam waited patiently as Kensi gave her fiance one more kiss. Then the two of them headed out for the night.


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks so much to those who read and commented on the last chapter. I really appreciate it :)_

xxxxx

"These eggs aren't very good," Callen said, pushing the rubberized scrambled eggs around on the plate with his fork. There was some soggy bacon and cold toast accompanying them, as well.

"Try to eat it anyway, Callen," Deeks said, making a heroic effort to eat his own breakfast. "It's not that bad."

Callen ate a few more bites, but ended up recovering the plate with the plastic dome and sipping from his small carton of orange juice.

Deeks ate a bit more of his breakfast than Callen had, but in the end, he ended up giving up on it also. In any case, he was relatively sure that Kensi would bring something good for lunch so they weren't going to starve. "So, are you feeling any better today?"

"I guess so," Callen said. "How about you?"

"I'm good. No real headache to speak of."

"Martin, darling!" Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Roberta Deeks who walked into the room carrying what appeared to be a bakery box. She leaned down to give Deeks a kiss on his cheek and picked up the plastic dome from his plate to peer underneath. "Oh no, that won't do at all. I think I got here just in a nick of time." She replaced the dome with a look of distaste on her face.

"Momma...you're here really early," Deeks said.

"Kensi mentioned that you all had a meeting this afternoon and I didn't want to interfere. Though why you're having meetings while you're still in the hospital is beyond my understanding. Couldn't they wait until the two of you are home, at least? It seems ridiculous to me." She looked over at Callen. "How are you feeling today, sweetheart? Better I hope. You were asleep yesterday when I was here. I felt bad I couldn't talk to you, but I didn't want to wake you."

"I'm doing well, thank you, Mrs. Deeks," Callen said.

"Oh stop with this Mrs. Deeks," Roberta said. "I told you, just call me Roberta. All my friends do and I think we're friends now, don't you?"

"Yes, Roberta," Callen said, a slight tinge of pink covering his cheeks. Deeks chuckled to himself at the affect his exuberant mom had on the usually unflappable team leader.

"So, I was talking to this lovely woman in the elevator and she had a box from a place called Mendo's Bakery. She said they had the most amazing muffins. So I said to myself, I need to get some of these muffins for my boys. So I went right back downstairs and left the hospital to go get them. I didn't really know what kind you would want so I got an assortment. I hope they're as good as she said they are." Roberta brought the box over to Callen and opened it. "Take whichever ones you want. There are two of each kind."

"I think one is all I need right now," Callen said, picking a large blueberry muffin from the box. "These look delicious, thank you." Definitely much better than the supposed breakfast they had been served.

"Thanks, momma," Deeks said as he chose a chocolate chip muffin for himself. "Why don't you sit down now."

"Well, I was going to go get you something to drink," Roberta said. "Maybe something hot? Coffee or tea?"

"I'm good," Deeks said. "Callen?"

Callen shook his head. "I'm good too. These muffins are delicious."

"Oh I'm so glad," Roberta said, smiling as she pulled a chair over right between Callen and Deeks so she could easily talk to both of them. The trio then shared a very nice visit with Callen and Deeks each eating another of the irresistible muffins.

At a little before noon, Roberta decided to take her leave. "You just call me if you need anything at all," she said as she leaned down to give her son a kiss. She then walked over to Callen and kissed his cheek also, causing him to blush once again. "That goes for you, as well. Anything at all, just let me know."

"Thank you," Callen said, smiling at her.

Roberta went to her son, giving him one more kiss and brushing his hair back with her hand. "You take care of yourself. I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too, momma," Deeks said.

"Your mom's pretty special, Deeks," Callen said after Roberta had left.

"She's one of a kind for sure," Deeks replied. Sometimes she drove him nuts, but he knew he was lucky to have her. He also appreciated how nice she was being to Callen. He was pretty sure it meant a lot to the other man even if he might be a little embarrassed by her affectionate gestures.

xxxxx

"Hey guys, how are you today?" Kensi asked as she walked into the room followed by Sam. "Got some burgers for your lunch."

"You do know that the nurses hate you bringing in all this food from the outside world," Deeks said grinning at Kensi as she kissed him.

"Well, I can stop any time you want," Kensi said, looking at his seemingly untouched lunch plate. "You can eat...whatever that is...seriously, what is this?"

"Beef stew," Deeks replied. "We didn't even taste it. Feel free to do so if you'd like. Maybe it's not as gross as it looks."

"I think I'll pass. Did you eat breakfast?" Kensi asked.

"Deeks' mom brought us some awesome muffins," Callen said. "They were really good."

Sam smiled at his partner, glad to see he appeared much better than the previous day. He also was pretty sure that the attentions of Deeks' mom were having a positive effect on him. "You're looking pretty chipper today, G."

"I'm feeling better," Callen said, smiling at his partner, knowing how worried he had been about him. "How's the leg?"

"Also doing better." Sam turned to Deeks. "You feeling okay?"

Deeks nodded. "Yep, the doc is going to spring me the day after tomorrow, if all goes well.

Sam glanced at Callen and didn't miss the slight downcast look in his partner's eyes. "I'm sure you'll be out of here soon as well, buddy," he said softly.

Callen nodded and forced a smile. "I know. I'm good, Sam."

"Okay, why don't we have our lunch," Kensi suggested. "We don't want to still be eating when the psychologist gets here."

With that, the team members dug into their lunches. Kensi, Callen and Deeks all had burgers and fries while Sam had a grilled chicken sandwich and a side salad. They finished eating at 1:30 and then sat around making vague small talk. "You think I could get away with pretending to sleep?" Callen asked, only half kidding.

"Come on, G...It won't be that bad," Sam said. "If you want to try though, I won't tattle on you."

"Me either," Deeks said. "Go for it, Callen, if you want to."

"No, I'm good," Callen said, deciding to suck it up. If his team was going to go through with it, he needed to, as well.

"I really think this may be a good thing, Callen," Kensi said, giving him an encouraging smile.

"It's good to hear that kind of positivity," said a smiling, attractive middle-aged woman who walked into the room at that moment. "I'm Rachel Cranston and I assure you, I'll make this as painless as possible." She sat down in the empty chair between Callen and Deeks' beds. "Why don't we start with something easy. Can you all introduce yourselves to me?"

"Marty Deeks." Deeks decided to get the ball rolling.

"Sam Hanna."

"Kensi Blye."

"G. Callen…You can just call me Callen." He looked at Rachel thoughtfully. "Did you evaluate Agent Gibbs' team a few years back?"

"I did." Rachel looked at Callen in surprise. "Do you know Agent Gibbs?"

Callen nodded. "We've known each other for a long time. He's a good man."

"He is," Rachel said, nodding in agreement. She then turned her attention to the rest of the team. "So...quite an ordeal the four of you went through. Does anyone have anything to say to start us off?"

There was a period of silence before Deeks finally spoke, his eyes on Kensi. "My partner...she overcame what seemed like insurmountable odds to save my life...She dragged me on a stretcher for miles through the desert. I don't think she'll ever know just how much I love and appreciate her for what she did for me… Kensi amazes me more and more each day."

"There was no other option," Kensi said, blinking against the sudden moisture in her eyes. "You're everything to me, Deeks. I...I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't made it through…"

"Am I missing something here?" Rachel asked, looking at the two of them with interest. "The two of you seem extremely close."

"They're engaged," Sam said, chuckling. "Work partners and real life partners."

"Oh I see," Rachel said, smiling. "Well then, that makes a lot more sense."

At that point, there was another silence. Rachel looked at the group and turned to Callen. "How about you, Callen? Do you have anything to say about what happened?" Callen thought for a few moments before he spoke. "My partner, Sam...he saved my life too, even though he was badly hurt." He sighed heavily, appearing troubled. "I couldn't do anything to help him though…"

"That seems to bother you," Rachel stated, observing his demeanor closely.

Callen nodded. "Of course, it bothers me. I'm the team leader and I wasn't able to help anyone...not my team… and not Agent Hidoko…"

"Come on, G," Sam said gently. "We already went over this. What happened to Hidoko wasn't your fault. As hard as it is to accept, it wasn't any of our faults. We didn't even know she was in Mexico until after the fact. There was nothing any of us could have done."

Callen nodded then sighed. "I know...I just wish it had been different. She didn't deserve that."

"Being the team leader doesn't make you Superman, Callen," Kensi said. "You were hurt, much worse than you let on to any of us, and you risked your life to kill those two men who were shooting at us. That gave us the chance to form our escape plans."

"So, you did help your team," Rachel reiterated. "It sounds like you need to take some credit here."

"She's right, Callen," Deeks said. "If anyone didn't do anything at all, it was me."

Callen smirked. "That's because you were unconscious."

Rachel turned her attention to Sam. "Callen said you saved his life. How did you do that?"

"He cut a hole in his chest then stuck a pen in it," Deeks said. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's such a cool story."

"It wasn't so cool when I thought he was dead," Sam stated, thinking back. "He wasn't breathing...I...I thought I had lost him."

"But you didn't lose me," Callen said, giving his partner a heartfelt look. "You saved me, Sam."

"It was the boy that saved you, G… If he hadn't gone for help, brought back the pen…" Sam shook his head, his eyes filled with emotion. "It would have been too late…"

"It wasn't too late though," Rachel said. "He's here now and he's going to be okay."

Sam nodded and gave a smile to his partner. "Yeah...he's going to be just fine."

"So, there seems to be a lot of self blame going on here," Rachel said. "How do the four of you feel about Executive Assistant Director Mosley?"

There was more silence before Callen spoke. "She didn't force anyone to go down to Mexico...I promised to help her. That's on me."

Sam sighed. "I pushed my way into the mission. G didn't want me to go."

"Because you were hurt, not because I didn't want you there," Callen said. "I was worried about you...and look what happened. You almost died."

"But you said it yourself, Sam saved your life," Rachel gently reminded him.

Callen nodded. "I know he did. There's no doubt in my mind if Sam hadn't gone down there that I'd be dead."

"I noticed the two of you aren't saying anything," Rachel said, turning back to Kensi and Deeks. "Any thoughts?"

The two junior team members exchanged a long look but remained silent.

"Come on, you must have some opinion," Rachel urged.

"I don't have much good to say about Mosley right now," Kensi finally said. "I honestly don't even think she appreciated what we did."

"It's okay, Kens…" Deeks said softly.

"No, no it's not okay, Deeks," Kensi said, her eyes blazing. "Mosley fired Deeks right before the mission for no reason at all. He was just her scapegoat. She treated him badly and never even thanked him for what he did, even though he was almost killed."

"I see…" Rachel was surprised to hear about Deeks. There hadn't been anything about him losing his job in her files. She turned to Deeks. "You still decided to go, in spite of what she did?"

"Kensi is my partner," Deeks said. "I wanted to be there for her and the team."

"In any case," Sam said. "Deeks' job is secure now."

"I should hope so," Kensi murmured under her breath.

"The four of you seem very loyal to each other," Rachel said.

"We've been together a long time," Callen said. "We work well together." He tried to hold back a yawn, but failed to do so and covered his mouth with his hand. He was rapidly starting to tire.

"We all know each other extremely well," Sam said. "We're teammates, but also friends."

"I can't imagine us being any closer," Kensi stated. "I love Callen and Sam like brothers."

Deeks didn't add anything. It seemed like it had all been said, and like Callen, he was beginning to tire. He didn't think his mother had been wrong at all when she said this could have waited until they were released from the hospital.

"So, I'm assuming you feel comfortable speaking to each other if any of you have issues?"

Looks were exchanged, but no one said anything. "Or am I to assume you keep things inside and try to deal with them yourselves?"

"Not always," Sam said.

"It's not always easy to talk about some of the stuff we go through with our job," Kensi said.

Sam glanced over at Callen and a smile touched his lips when he saw that his partner had legitimately fallen asleep. "Should I wake him up?" he asked Rachel.

Rachel shook her head, a smile on her lips as well. "No. I was out here on other business so Director Vance thought it would be good for me to speak with the four of you, but it likely would have been better to have waited until you were further along in your recoveries.

"Probably so," Kensi said, her eyes on Deeks who was obviously struggling to keep alert.

"I think I'm going to head out." Rachel opened up her briefcase and handed business cards to Sam and Kensi. "Please reach out to me if you have anything you'd like to talk about, either individually or as a group."

"Thank you," Sam said. "We appreciate that."

"And we appreciate you coming to talk with us," Kensi added.

"You have a difficult job," Rachel said as she got to her feet. "It's important that you keep the lines of communication open and it seems like you do a good job with that. Keep it up and you know how to contact me if you need to."

With that, goodbyes were said and Rachel headed out, leaving the team alone once more.


End file.
